Rotary snowplow



May 12, 1942. kR. SNQOK 2283,10!

ROTARY sNow PLow Filed Mch 1o. 1941 2 'sheets-sheet 1 3/ n Jnvezzor Ray A65200111 May 12, 1942;

R. sNooK 2,283,101'

ROTARY SNOW PLOW Filed March 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 12, 1942 arcate-1 UNHTED STATES' FATENT GiiilCE.

2,283,101 Y I v ROTARY sNoWPLoW Ray Snoek, Windom, Minn. Application March 10, 1941, serial No. 382,592

4 Claims.

My present invention relates Ato snow plows and is particularly directed to the improvement of highway snow plows of the rotary type.V

In this particular illustration the crank shaft I'I Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices, combinations of devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and dened in the claims.

The snow plow proper is arranged to be connected to, driven from, and pushed ahead of a motor-propelled vehicle, which latter may be of Y the tractor type or of the motor truck type. Preferably, the plow is made detachable from the motor-propelled vehicle so that the latter mai7 be independentlyused; and, moreover, the snow plow may be mounted upon its own wheels or may be carried from the main frame of the tractor or motor-propelled vehicle.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like Characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation, with some parts broken away, showing the improved rotary snow plow connected to and driven from a motor-propelled vehicle such as a truck;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the snow plow, with some parts broken away and some parts removed;

Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 looking forward or toward the front of the plow; and

Fig. 5 is -a fragmentary diagrammatic plan view showing the driving gears.

In Fig. 1 the numerals 8, 9 and Il) indicate, respectively, the front wheels, front body portion and frame of the truck or motor-propelled vehicle which is provided with a forwardly extended transmission shaft II which, in the wellknown way, will be driven from the motor of the truck or vehicle. Y

The snow plow is provided vwith a strong frame I2 preferably made from angle beams. This frame I2, in side elevation, is approximately L- L shaped and it is provided with rigidly secured rearwardly extended brackets i3 that-are pivoted at Ill to the front end of the Atruck frame I0.

e This pivot is may be a bolt which, whenre-Y moved, will permit the plow frame to be detached from the tractor frame. TheV frame I2 is preferably mounted on front wheelsV l5 journaled to the free ends of arms IS of a transverse crankshaft i7 journaled in `suitable bearings on the lower portion of the frame I2, see Figs. 1 and 4.

has a long `arm I8, the upper end of which, by

.means of an operatingrod I9, is connected to a' suitable operating device assumed` tobe on the.

tractor. I

Rigidly secured to the lower front and upper rear portions of the frame I2 is a strong at and very wide back plate 2l! which, at its lower end, isbent forward'and rigidly connected to a flat and wide face plate '2|'. The manner of-con- Ynecting the plates and `2I may be varied but,

as shown, these two plates are united and forwardly bent aty 22 to Vform a cutting blade or scraper that will run close to the road bed. The back plate ZIJ has considerablyv greater inclination than the face plate 2| but both are forwardly inclined. At its upper end the face plate 2| is rigidly secured to the top of plate 20 and through the latter to the upper portion oftheframe I2 by suitabledevices such as rigid metallic spacing and supporting bars 23. The 'face plate 2l is formedwith a pair of very large approximately cylindrical pockets 24, the outwardly flaring annular rims of which'c'om'e into close contact at 25', vas shown in Figs. 2 and 3, at the central portion of the face plate and the outer edges of which preferably extend to the outer edges-of the face plate. pockets 24, as already indicated, are cylindrical and at points near their adjacent walls are formedk with outlet ports or passages 26 that lead to a common discharge stack 21. It may be here stated that in practice this snow outlet stack 21 will preferably be provided with a discharge end or portion, not shown, but which, in accordancewith common practice in rotarysnow plows, will be movable to discharge snow, at will, at either side of the plow. a The bottoms of the pockets V24 are closed by the rear'or back plate 20.

Working in the pockets are fan-like heads secured on the front ends of shafts 29 that extend at 90 to the plates'Z and are journaledjin suitable bearings 30 onrsaid plate 2D. At their rear ends shafts 29 are `provided with bevel pin.- ions 3l that mesh with bevel gears 32. VBevel gears 32 are secured on the oppositeends of, a transverse shaft 33 mounted in bearings V34 on the rear lower portion of .frarne'IfL Shaft 33, at its intermediate portion, is providedwith a bevel gear 35 that meshes with a similar bevel gear 3% carried by a 'sha'ft 31 journaled in a suitable bearing 38 on the base-'of frame I2, see note FigJl.

particularly Figs. 1l and 5, but V'also shaft 311s axiauy alignedA with the motor- The lsnow-receiving driven shaft I of the tractor or motor-propelled vehicle and is connected thereto by a suitable coupling 39 which should be of a flexible or yielding character that will permit movements of the frame l 2 in respect to the truck frame I 0, on the coupling pivot |4 without straining the driving connection between the two shafts and 31.

J ournaled in the forwardly projecting portions of the frame extensions or arms 23 is a transverse shaft 4|! which, at its outer ends, is provided with wheel-like deiiecting discs 4| which, on their opposing inside faces, are provided with ribs or flanges 42.

Working close to the front or face plate 2|, one slightly above each of the pockets 24, are

purposes, the plurality of blades is .better and does not require such high speed of rotation of the cutter heads.

Under forward movement of the machine against a snow bank the snow will, of course, be pressed into the pockets and must be very rapidly broken up and delivered out of the pockets by the fan heads. As already indicated, the cutter blades 44 cut into and disintegrate the snow bank and assist in delivery thereof into the pockets. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the upper portions of the pockets are deeper than the lower portions and that the cutter combined cutting and deflecting heads involv' ing hubs 43 with long sharp edged blades 44 radiating from said hubs. These hubs 43 are secured to the front ends of shafts 45 that extend at right angles to the plate 2| and are journaled in bearings 4S and 41, respectively, on the plates 2| and 2G. At their rear ends shafts 45 are provided with bevel pinions 48 that mesh with bevel pinions 49 ona transverse shaft 50 that is journaled in suitable bearings on the upright rear portion of frame I2.

Shaft 50, at its intermediate portion, is provided with a bevel gear 5| that meshes with a Ybevel pinion 52 on the upper end of a short shaft 53 that is journaled in bearing members 54 on the upright rear portion of frame |2. At its lower end upright shaft 53 is provided with a bevel pinion 55 that meshes with a bevel gear 56 on the driving shaft 31.

At one end transverse shaft 50 is provided with a sprocket 51 Ythat is aligned with a sprocket 58 on the upper transverse shaft 40. A sprocket chain 59 runs over the sprockets 51 and 58.

Means has now been described for driving all ofthe moving parts of the machine, from the power transmission shaft of the truck or motor-propelled vehicle, through the shaft 31. The directionsrin which the various rotary parts will be -rotated is, in most instances, indicated by arrows marked thereon, .but the following further tated in a clockwise direction, Athese directionsv of rotation being those that will project the snow to the discharge spout through the ports 26 and will create a strong blast of air with the snow outward through said ports and discharge passage. The blades 44 of the cutter heads are arranged to rotate in the same directions as the fan heads with which they directly co-operate and over and in front of which they operate, and the said blades are beveled or Vset so that they will deect the snow into the pockets. The chief function, however, of the blades is to cut through the snow that is being pressed into the pockets under the forward movement of the machine and to .break up the snow so that it can be more easily handled by the fan heads. The blades 44 are made quite long so that they will sweep in front of the major portions of the pockets. The blades, in fact, will overlap but are so `geared that the blades of the `one head will not engage with the blades of the other head. Of course, the cutter heads may be provided with )anyv desired number of blades and while one blade for each head might be suicient for some `blades 44 work with greatest efliciency over the deep upper portions of the pockets and break up the snow where there would be the greatest danger of. bridging over of the snow in the pockets.

mately aligned with the outer edges of the front plate 2| and if the plow is forced into avery deep bank the discs will cut a sharp line through the bank and will tear down the snow bank so that Ythe front plate canpass into the bank.

Moreover, these blade-equipped deflecting wheels tend to throw the snow downward onto the inclind front plate and toward the pockets.

The operation of the snow plow has, in a general way, already been indicated, but may be briefly summarized as follows:

Under forward movement of the plow the snow will be crowded into the pockets and by the action of the fans will be thrown outward by centrifugal force and by the air blast will be carried from the pockets through the delivery'stack and through the discharge stack. When the plow is forced against a snow bank or deep snow on the road bed, the snow will be crowded upward on the front plate and crowded into the pockets and the delivery of the snow into the pockets will be assisted by the action of the blades 44. If a very deep snow bank is encountered, the disc-like wheels 4| will c ut into the bank at the very edges of the face plate 2| and the snow cut loose from the bank, but said wheels will be forced downward and the snow cut into by the said discs will be thrown downward and subjected to the action of the blades 44. Any snow that is pressed against the conical rims 25 will be crowded into the pockets. It is important that the rear plate 20, in which the pockets are formed, should have a greater inclination than the front plate so that gravity will have a better chance to assist in delivering snow into the pockets; and in such an arrangement the operation of the cutter blades 44, at the upper portion of the pockets where the pockets are deepest, is highly important.

The drawings and the above specification disclose a machine which, at the present time, is considered a preferred form, but it will be understood that various alterations and modifications .in the structure and arrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the invention.

As a further and important feature I apply a baiiie plate 6|) which is pivoted to said plate at prevents the snow from being thrown vertically upward.v When not desired as a baliie the plate ripheral discharge passages leading to a discharge stack, power driven rotary fan-acting heads working in said pockets, a pair of power driven blade-equipped cutter heads working in front of said face plate and over the upper portions of said pockets, and in which said cutter heads are so set and timed that their blades move through interlapping planes without interfering contact. n

2. In a snow plowfa supporting frame, an inclined face plate and an inclined back plate se cured on said frame, said face plate having laterally spaced pockets with their bottoms closed against said back plate, said pockets having peripheral discharge passages lleading to a discharge stack, power driven rotary fan-acting heads working in said pockets, a pair of power driven blade-equipped cutter heads working in front of said face plate and over the upper portions of said pockets, and in further combination with a transverse power driven shaft extended across the upper portion of said face plate and provided at its ends with blade-equipped cutter wheels that work closely adjacent to the op-A posite edges of the upper portion of said face plate.

plate supported at the front of said frame and a back plate secured to said frame and face plate, said face plate having a snow-receiving pocket the bottom closed against said back plate and having a peripheral discharge port, a discharge stack leading from said discharge port, a power driven rotary fan head working in said pocket, and a power driven rotary cutter head located in front of said face plate and having at least one blade arranged to sweep over land in front of said pocket, and in further combination with a baille pivotally secured to said front plate im'- .I

mediately over the upper path of movement of said cutter head and having a rearwardly extending operative connection. K y

4. In a snow plow, a supporting frame and .face plate supported at the front of said iframe and a back plate secured to said frame andK face plate, said face plate having a snow-receivingV pocket the bottom closed against said back plate and having a peripheral discharge port, a discharge stack leading from said discharge port,

1 a power-driven rotary fan head working in said Y and back plate are rearwardly inclined, the angle of inclination of the back plate being greater 'v than that of the face plate,.thereby rendering the-'pocket deeper .at its upper than. at its lower portion,

RAY SNOOK,

3. In a snow plow, a supporting frame and `face Y* 

